Mock Mince Pie

An ingredient list for the pantry version of mincemeat, built from crackers, dried fruit and molasses instead of meat and suet. It assumes a cook who already knows how to line a plate with pastry.

• Common crackersThese were the dry, thick, nearly unsalted Boston or Vermont crackers sold from a barrel, not a modern salted snack cracker. Four of them, depending on size, should give roughly a cup of coarse crumbs; unsalted soda crackers or plain water biscuits come closest.
• MolassesUse unsulphured dark molasses, not blackstrap, which is bitter and will dominate the fruit. Sorghum or cane syrup can stand in for it.
• Lemon juice or vinegarThe acid stands in for the hard cider or sour apples of real mincemeat. Cider vinegar behaves better here than white, and a third of a cup is not a misprint -- the filling should taste sharp against all that sugar.
• ButterHalf a cup, melted or worked in soft; it substitutes for the suet in true mincemeat and gives the filling its richness as it sets.
• Missing seasoningMany mock mince recipes of the period carry cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and a little salt, and this one lists none. Without some spicing the filling tastes largely of molasses and sugar.
• Pastry and ovenNo crust or baking direction is given. As a rough guide this quantity should fill one nine-inch double-crust pie, or two shallow ones; a hot oven to set the bottom crust, dropped to moderate until the filling bubbles and the top colours, suits a two-crust pie of this kind.
• The eggsThey are what binds the filling, so it must be baked until the centre is set rather than pulled while still loose. Beating them well before adding, as directed, keeps them from streaking through the molasses.
• ServingCut cold or barely warm.